Why did we dine here? – Sundance is the steakhouse on the San Francisco Peninsula. This place has been here for ever and is liked by many. It’s interesting that the reviews on Yelp are all over the board. We hadn’t been here in probably 10 years, so it was time to give it a try.

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Why did we dine here? – Hong Kong Restaurant opened in 2012 in Palo Alto, where several restaurants including a Thai one had come and gone.
Over the last couple of months, it has established itself as the go to Chinese restaurant in this area. We have eaten there for dinner as well as for a for a fixed menu meal.

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Why did we dine here? – La Bodeguita Del Medio is a popular Cuban restaurant in Palo Alto. One of the few upscale Cuban restaurants in the Bay Area. They have a location in Havana, Cuba.

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Why did we dine here? – Campo Pizzeria is a new restaurant in downtown Palo Alto featuring Chef Sean O’Brien (Myth, Zinnia).

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Tamarine is a popular Vietnamese contemporary restaurant in downtown Palo Alto on busy University Avenue. They focus on small plates and serve food family style. Tamarine features light, but flavor-intensive culinary delicacies of Vietnam. This place is similar to Slanted Door or Xanh in Mountain View. We find the food pretty accessible with many items for mainstream palates. The owners family runs the traditional Vietnamese restaurant Vung Tau in San Jose. Our last visit was in 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sea by Alexanders Steakhouse is a new seafood oriented restaurant in Palo Alto by the folks behind Alexanders. They focus on the freshest, wild, and sustainably harvested products. This restaurant is a nice addition to the South Bay scene. There really aren’t many places of this caliber down here.

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Straits Burlingame

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Palo Alto Creamery Fountain and Grill at Stanford has been serving up classic burger joint food since 1988 when Robert Fischer took over the business. They have 2 locations in Palo Alto, with the downtown location open since 1923 in previously known as the Peninsula Creamery. We visited the location in the Stanford shopping center. They specialize in classic American food including burgers and ice cream fare. They serve breakfast, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrees after 4pm. They have a $195 burger with Dom Perignon to celebrate selling your company! Our last meal was an early 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

Baumé is a French Cuisine Moderne restaurant that uses a lot of molecular gastronomy techniques. The restaurant is named after the pioneering French chemist Antoine Baume. They recently received one Michelin star for 2011. Bruno Chemel was well respected at his last restaurant and also earned a Michelin star there.

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Another trendy fancy burger place… The Counter opened in 2006 and is another fancy casual restaurant located in the Palo Alto, California Avenue shopping district. They have locations in CA, CO, GA, NC, and TX with many more coming soon. We revisited in March 2011 at the brand-new San Mateo location, click next door to Trader Joes. Loud music greeted us as we entered the place along with some flat screen TVs at the counter.

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The Oaxacan Kitchen is a higher end Mexican restaurant in Palo Alto’s California Street shopping area. The restaurant is run by the husband and wife team Ron Kent and Zaida, and opened in 2008. They focus on authentic Oaxacan food. They sell some of their products at local farmers markets. Read the rest of this entry »

Howie’s Artisan Pizza was opened by Howard Bulka in late 2009 into Town & Country Village shopping Center of Palo Alto. He had worked at various restaurants including Marche. Inspired by the New Haven school of East Coast pizza-making and the renaissance of artisanal products including organic, natural, and local ingredients. Our last visit was in October 2011 when we noticed that pizza prices went up $2. Read the rest of this entry »